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Hamid's story, a child refugee

Our work with child refugees and asylum seekers

Hamid is originally from Afghanistan, but travelled to the UK after being shot in the war. He was initially arrested by UK police and sent to shared accommodation. There, he met a worker from The Children’s Society who helped him seek medical help for his hand and gave him a mentor to help him adjust to life in the UK. Now Hamid is 19 and would like to be an engineer. This is his story.

The situation in Afghanistan is very bad

The entire world knows the situation in Afghanistan is very bad. Every day there is war, innocent people get killed. People can’t go to work, children can’t go to school. The situation is very bad.

I didn’t want to leave my country, but I had to. I was forced to leave after I got shot in the war. One of my hands doesn’t work now. I couldn’t go to work, I couldn’t go to school, so I had to leave my country.

It was very difficult on the way to the UK. We had to go through jungles and mountains but didn’t have a vehicle. In Iran, police don’t treat Afghan refugees well. They provoke them and get money from them.

Once I was left alone in Iran’s mountains, it was very cold and I was really in danger. It was difficult.

When I got to England

When I got to England, police arrested me. But their behaviour was very good, they gave me clothes and they were very good with me.

I didn’t know anyone in the UK, I don’t have any relatives here. So I was in a shared house and someone from The Children’s Society visited, that’s how I first knew about them.

I became very happy

When I saw my worker I was very happy. He was from my country and speaking my language, I told him all my difficulties and he helped me with my problems. When I met him I became very happy.

The Children’s Society took me to a doctor. I couldn’t go there on my own because I didn’t know about the hospital and didn’t know how to get there, but The Children’s Society took me. They also took me to a youth club, and introduced me to a mentor who visits me two or three times a week and supports me.

I am very happy with The Children’s Society, I want to say thank you

When I first came to The Children’s Society, I didn’t know anything. If I went to a shop, I couldn’t buy anything because I didn’t know the price. But my mentor helped me with this. Now I don’t have any difficulty.

I want to become an engineer in the future. I hope The Children’s Society will continue supporting me in the future too.

Young people who come to the UK and don’t understand English, I want them to visit The Children’s Society. They are a good organisation and they help people resolve their problems. I am very happy with The Children’s Society, I want to say thank you.’

We worked with over 13,000 vulnerable children and young people last year, while our campaign wins will bring change to more than 3 million.